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In America, I am still paddling up the Missouri River with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their Corps of Discovery. I don't know how the men kept up their strength. As far as I can tell their diet consisted of wild game that they killed along the way, a little whiskey, and maybe some berries and other fruit they found along the riverside. Doesn't sound too nourishing.
On the northern coast of France, M. Hercule Poirot, in The Murder on the Links, is still mulling over clues. Yet another body has been found only adding to the confusion.
And, finally, I just arrived last night in North Wales to meet up with Penny Brannigan in the mystery, The Cold Light of Mourning. Canadian author Elizabeth J. Duncan has created a lovely world in the small town of Llanelen, Wales. This is the first in a series of mysteries featuring Ms. Brannigan, watercolor artist and nail salon owner.
The puzzle: A bride, an unpopular out-of-towner engaged to the local squire, has gone missing on her wedding day. The last person to see her was our heroine when she gave the bride a morning manicure on her walk-down-the-aisle day. Has beautiful Meg Wynne Thompson jilted the groom at the altar or has something more sinister - like murder - occurred?
Where in the World is your reading taking you this weekend?
I'm in Laos! And France. (At least, the book I'm reading, The Lost Goddess, is set there.) Oh, the places you'll go when you pick up a book! That's one of the things I love most about reading.
ReplyDeleteHow fun, Lark. The only books I have read that are set in Laos are the Dr. Siri mysteries by Colin Cotterill. Have you read any of those? And anything that takes place in France appeals to me.
DeleteI've never read Colin Cotterill...but the setting definitely appeals. I'll have to see if my library has any copies. Thanks for the tip.
DeleteDr. Siri, who is in his 70s, is the national coroner of Laos. The series takes place in the 1970s. Dr. Siri is funny and crotchety and quite a character. I have enjoyed the series.
DeleteI am off the western coast of Australia reading "The Light Between the Oceans by M. L. Stedman. Good book so far, but I'm not too far into it yet. I waited quite a while for this book on library hold.
ReplyDeleteLaura, always nice to visit 'Down Under'. I hope you are enjoying your journey!
DeleteHa! I'm going to write a similar post at the end of the summer about where I "went" on my vacation. This weekend, I'm in England with Major Pettigrew (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand) and Miss Silver (The Catherine Wheel). I could never go as many places over the summer in real life, so I'm grateful for my literary travels!
ReplyDeleteKathy, I was crazy about Major Pettigrew. I thought the book was wonderful. I must check out the Miss Silver mysteries. How have I missed them? Isn't it lovely to travel without the hassle!
DeleteOh, I think you'll like Miss Silver! Patricia Wentworth, the author, is sometimes compared with Agatha Christie. I have only read a few of her books, but I like them very much.
DeleteWasn't Major Pettigrew an absolute lamb? I loved the book, and decided to keep it rather than recycle it to Paperback Swap or my local used bookstore.
Thanks Kathy. Miss Silver it is!
DeleteI'm in England with "Miss Read" (The Howards of Caxley) and G.M. Malliet (Death of a Cozy Writer) and in upstate New York with Julia Spencer-Fleming (In the Bleak Midwinter.
ReplyDeleteYour comment on how Lewis and Clark survived - my son and his wife became interested in the Paleo (hunters/gatherers)diet) a few years ago as suggested by their Dr. They made something like 'jerky' which they said guys like Lewis and Clark took along with them. I cannot for the life of me come up with the name of it (and they are unavailable at the moment) but it wasn't half bad tasting. It was a mix of dried venison and berries etc but I can't remember what held it together. It didn't need refrigeration. They still somewhat follow that diet (if you can actually 'somewhat' follow a diet - of course less processed foods etc. They've introduced us to spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti, etc.
I think it is interesting how a question can begin on one topic and end up so far away. :)
Happy weekend.
Joyce in KS
The word I couldn't quite come up with was "Pemmican" I was dicing potatoes for potato salad when it came to me! I looked to make sure and found a good description of it on Wikipedia. I'll let you decide if you are interested enough to go read about it.
ReplyDeleteJoyce in KS
Joyce, I thought 'Death of a Cozy Writer' was such fun. You are quite well-traveled in your reading. I always like to be in England.
DeleteI knew what you meant in your first comment about the 'jerky'. Pemmican is mentioned, just as you say, as a mixture of some sort of dried meat (buffalo?) and berries. I think Lewis and Clark got it from the Plains Indians. It doesn't sound too appetizing to me!